"You can't make me stay!" Lily screamed at Alice while throwing more of her clothes into her trunk.
Alice proceeded to grab the clothes Lily had just packed and throw them onto the ground.
"Lily, you're being ridiculous. You're not leaving!" Alice shouted back.
"Yes I am! I'm leaving and I'm going to go back to my muggle town and I'll obliviate everybody into forgetting that I ever left and then I'm going to live a normal life away from all of this- this bloody magic that means nothing!" Lily shrieked.
"Don't you yell at me Lily Evans! Just because you didn't like what you smelled-"
"I DIDN'T SMELL ANYTHING!" Lily quickly defended.
"Oh grow up already! So you like-"
"DON'T YOU DARE FINISH THAT SENTENCE. I'M MOVING BACK HOME!"
"NO YOU'RE NOT."
"YES I AM."
"YOU'RE NOT LEAVING."
"I'M LEAVING."
"YOU'RE NOT LEAVING."
"YES I AM."
"YOU ARE NOT LEAVING."
"YOU CAN'T STOP ME!"
"OPPUGNO!" Alice sent a pile of clothes whirling towards Lily.
"AHH, OPPUGNO!" Lily sent pillows flying at Alice.
"Oppugno!"
"Oppugno!"
"Oppugno!"
"Oppugno!"
Soon the room was a tornado. Shirts, pants, skirts, cloaks, underwear, books, pillows and blankets were zooming around Lily's room, trying their very best to hit both girls in the face. Luckily through all of the confusion, they didn't exactly have the aim of a bludger. Lily and Alice continued to scream as they fought. Suddenly the bedroom door flew open.
"What is going on?" James Potter yelled.
A bra hit James in the face and Lily and Alice froze. All of the items fell quickly to the ground, lifeless and still. Lily's face grew a deeper red than her hair as she stared at James.
Alice coughed.
"Accio bra," Lily quickly muttered.
James stood, staring at the two girls and the disaster that lay before him. Lily's bra flew off of his face and into her delicately reached out hand. He had never seen the two girls fight, let alone magically tear apart Lily's always perfect room. He studied the girls before noticing the half packed trunk at the end of Lily's bed. He knew she didn't particularly love sharing the Heads Dorm with him, but he didn't think she hated him so much as to try and move back into the Gryffindor tower. And he was slightly surprised Alice wouldn't want her to come back.
"Thank Merlin you're here," Alice exclaimed, "Go ahead Lily. Tell him."
She gave Lily a pointed look, but Lily refused to acknowledge her.
"It's none of his business."
"Stop being a child."
"I am not!"
"Yes, you are!"
"Am not!
"Are too
"Am not!
"Are too!
"Am not!
"Are too!
"What the bloody hell are you two talking about?!" James yelled.
"Lily," Alice said coldly.
Lily looked around and considered her options. She didn't really want James to know that she was moving back to her muggle town. That would defeat the point of going into hiding. But she knew that if she didn't say something, Alice would. And Alice may choose to reveal some rather private and top secret information that was only meant for the ears of a supposed sympathetic and wholly supportive best friend.
"Potter," Lily said calculatingly.
"Back to surnames? What did I do?" James cried.
He thought back on their day. Although he had had potions with Lily earlier, he hadn't even said a word to her. In fact he had made sure not to! Which was really difficult for him, considering that they had brewed Amortia in class that day and James' head swam with Lily's intoxicating scent. He had wanted nothing more than to push her up against the stone walls, hold her hands over her head, and snog her. Snog her all day long. So instead, he had decided it was best to just avoid her until he was able to feel the effects of the potion wear off. But all of the shouting and banging from her room had alarmed him and he had come to investigate against his better judgement.
"Potter, I am moving," Lily said simply as she began to magically pack up all of her belongings.
"Lily, don't go back to Gryffindor just because you're mad at me! I'm sorry, for whatever I did," he pleaded.
"Oh she's not moving to the Gryffindor tower. Tell him, Lily," Alice pouted.
"I don't think it's really any of his business where I move," Lily explained, avoiding Alice's command.
"She's moving back to her muggle town and leaving the wizarding community," Alice shot out.
James froze. This was not what he had expected.
"What do you mean she's leaving?" he asked.
Alice simply leaned against the banister of Lily's bed and extended her arm, offering Lily the floor. Lily looked at her feet, pausing for a moment. She knew what she had smelled in Potions class today. Who she had smelled. But James had moved on. He hadn't asked her out since last year and he had barely talked to her since they had become Head boy and girl. It was clear that she had missed her chance and was finally experiencing what James had felt all along. Both the love and the rejection. And although she might be smart, she really didn't think she was mature enough to see him everyday. To live with him and watch him eventually date other girls. The thought of it all made her sick.
"Look, where I'm going is not the point. The point is that this is the last time we will see one another," She explained quietly.
James stared at Lily. He didn't know what to say. He knew he would have to give her up at the end of the year, but he had expected more time. He hadn't expected to give her up now. To stop seeing her face everyday and to stop trying to make her laugh in their limited conversations. Waking up to watch her slump drowsily through the hallways, her hair strewn about, was the highlight of his day.
Alice watched Lily stare contently at the floor. She also saw the complete heartbreak that was apparent on James' face. And in that moment she knew that James still loved Lily, not that she had really questioned it. But that he loved Lily a great deal more than she had thought and they were about to miss their moment.
"I'm going to let you two talk this one out," Alice said decidedly while walking towards the door, "Potter, if you let her leave, I'll set off every bludger this school has in your bedroom."
And with that Alice walked out of the room and closed the door behind her. James and Lily stood there for a moment or two. It was awkward, but neither one was willing to say something to break the silence. Finally, Lily moved. She walked over to the side of her bed and sat down on the floor, leaning against the comforter that had half fallen to the ground. She pulled her legs up close to her chest and pressed her forehead down on her arms, closing her eyes. James slowly and quietly sat down next to her.
"Why are you leaving?" he asked, "Is your family ok?"
"Yeah, my family is fine," an imagine of Petunia's scowling face popped into Lily's mind, "Well, as fine as they ever are."
"That's good," James said, "Are you having trouble in your classes?"
"No, my grades are the same as usual."
James paused, he didn't really know how to ask this without stepping on her toes, so he asked his question very carefully.
"Are you having friend problems?" he asked timidly.
Lily knew who he meant and although it made her sad that they weren't talking, he wasn't what was bugging her today. She shook her head.
James heart fell. He had hoped it would be something easy. He had honestly hoped it was anything, but this. Yet there was only one question he could think to ask.
"Are you having boy problems?" he asked in a whisper.
Lily didn't respond. How could she? She had been rejecting this boy for almost seven years and now she was going to turn around and cry because he didn't like her anymore? She just couldn't do it.
"Look, I realize this is awkward to talk to me about. But you don't have to worry," he reassured her, "I've changed now. I don't like you anymore. You can talk to me if you need to."
Lily hid her face in her arms as a few small tears began to fall. It wasn't easy listening to him tell her just how much he didn't want her. She cried as quietly as she could, but James was studying her. His stomach sank. Which boy was he going to have to beat? Who in the bloody hell made Lily Evans cry? A small burning anger formed in his stomach. His anger burned louder than his discomfort. Lily Evans would have the man she wanted, even if James had to drag him down the aisle. No one was ever going to hurt Lily while he was alive.
"Who is it, Lily?" he begged, "Come on Lils, you can tell me."
Lily cried harder. James hadn't called her Lils since he had last tried to win her over. Lils was her pet name. She could see his crooked handwriting signing her name to every love letter throughout the years. She wanted so badly for him to write her one now.
"Bloody hell," James exclaimed, he had no idea what to do.
James sat incredulously while Lily bawled. Although he had been stalking her for the last seven years, he didn't honestly know how to cheer her up in this situation. James wanted to wrap his arms around her and hold her, but that could be crossing a line. As the minutes ticked on and Lily continued to cry, James built up his courage. Slowly and deliberately he placed his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his chest. She moved into him easily and her crying quieted. The same intoxicating scent from Portions class swirled about both of their heads and they sat there. Content to be engulfed in one anothers scents and to indulge in their fantasies while holding one another in their arms.
"What's his name?" James whispered.
"James," Lily whispered back.
"Tell me his name Lily," James whispered, "I'll talk to him."
"James," Lily whispered again.
"Please, Lily," James pleaded, "Let me fix this for you. Let me make you happy."
Lily wasn't sure if it was courage or insanity that filled her heart, but either way she pressed her face into his chest and kissed him gently.
"His name is James," she whispered, "I have to leave because I'm in love with James Potter and he doesn't love me back."
James moved quickly, grabbing Lily's chin firmly in his hand and pulling her face up to his. He looked her in the eyes.
"Are you serious?" his voice was cold and flat.
Lily wanted to shrink back, but his grip on her chin held her still.
"Are you serious?" James demanded, "I need to know if you're serious Lily Evans, because I have loved you for seven years and if you tell me you love me, then you're mine. Forever. There's no going back. I won't let you go. Not be very sure of what you're saying to me right now."
Lily leaned in pressing her lips into his for only a moment before pulling back.
"Don't let me go, not ever," she whispered as James pulled her into him for a kiss that would last a very long time.